


Bull Headed Beauty

by Dlxm950



Series: All The Strange Ways We Love [1]
Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Bathing/Washing, Bows & Arrows, Comfort, Cultural Differences, Domestic Fluff, Drama, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Kul Tiras (Warcraft), Quel'Thalas (Warcraft), Romance, Shooting, Silvermoon City, Tree Abuse, argument
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:42:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22853437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dlxm950/pseuds/Dlxm950
Summary: No would ever say that conflict resolution was one of Sylvanas strengths and the fact that Jaina is absolute and uncompromising in her position isn't helping one bit.
Relationships: Jaina Proudmoore/Sylvanas Windrunner
Series: All The Strange Ways We Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665937
Comments: 6
Kudos: 101





	Bull Headed Beauty

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something I wrote to try and recover from burnout. Just something new and different to reset my writing mind.

Sylvanas has found over the great lengths of her life that nothing was more relaxing than shooting things. It offered a catharsis she seldom encountered in the regular monotony of her day to day life. Whenever she had a hard decision to make or a problem she couldn’t solve she retreated here, to the woods around Windrunner Tower, in hopes that the repetitive motions of the hunt would offer some missing piece. 

Right now however it offers nothing more than being somewhere she knows her wife won’t be. 

Don’t get her wrong she loved Jaina. Her wife's endless thirst for knowledge and never ending passion for all things good in the world. She was a beacon of hope and glory Sylvanas desperately needed when faced with the antiquated belligerence of the Council. Sometimes she wondered if Kael'thas understood just how many times Jaina had stopped her from putting an Arrow in his ass. At that thought however a deep scowl settled on her face.

It had started as a small argument, a small point of contention between them that had managed to slip through the many years of happy marriage to rear its ugly head right when they were most vulnerable. 

Jaina wished for her to pass the mantle of Ranger General on to someone else and Sylvanas refused. Now it was vastly more complicated than that; rooted in questions of family and children, their meaning to each other, their great plan for the future. 

_Thunk!_

Her scowl depend. The Arrow had landed half and inch to the right of where she had wanted it. An impressive shot still, 200 metres through the forest with a strong crosswind, it was by no means a poor shot. But still she should have been able to do it perfectly, she had before, hundreds of times, for nearly a thousand years she had made that perfect shot. 

Half an inch to the right.

_“You could move to a more advisory role, let Vereesa take the reigns, start training Lor.” Jaina advocated as she sipped at her morning tea._

_“Vereesa is an exemplary captain but she has little experience when it comes to large scale warfare or logistical calculations and Lor’themar has already been commissioned, by you I might add, to help reform the magical logistics division.” Sylvanas countered as she took a bite of apple._

_“Well surely there must be someone capable of running the military who isn’t you?” Jaina prodded._

_Sylvanas blinked a few times at that before her eyes narrowed. “So that’s what this is all about.”_

_Jaina paused for a moment but offered no counter to Sylvanas conclusion. After a few moments of silence Sylvanas scoffed. The very idea of it was ridiculous, she had spent nearly her whole life reforming the Rangers in her own vision. A perfect machine of war centralized around her own command and those of a select few. What was the point of having done all that just to hand it off to someone else?_

Jaina had let it go when she realized that they would get nowhere. Sylvanas had seen these sorts of arguments play out before, usually between her own parents (mother had been very cross when father had skipped out on their vacation to Dalaran in favour of managing the launch of a new ship). Unfortunately these sorts of arguments often ended Jaina’s favour. 

‘Happy wife happy life my ass’ Sylvanas thought as she released another arrow. Did Jaina not see how much she had already given up? She had already relegated all non essential functions to her lower officers, they had moved permanently away from Silvermoon at Jaina's behest, selling off various properties and assets within the city. For nearly three decades she had suffered through Winter's Veil, in Kul Tiras, during _winter_. 

The arrow sailed true and for a moment Sylvanas thought it would land exactly dead center in the tree.

With a sad pitiful thunk in sunk into the dirt beside the tree. 

Her eye twitched for a moment as her grip became white knuckled on her bow. There had been no cross wind, the sun had come out from behind its cloud cover, and she had still missed. Not even half an inch to the right of where she wanted it, she had completely missed the target, never across her entire career had she ever missed a target.

_“Were older now Sylvanas, I’m nearly fifty and your nearly two thousand, don’t you think it's time we started thinking of settling down?” Jaina asked softly._

_They were in Kul Tiras for this argument. Laying in bed well into the morning, with no responsibilities or duties for the day Sylvanas had closed her eyes and nestled in as close as possible to the warmth of her lovers body. Unfortunately it seemed that today would prove to offer no more reprieve than any other. So with a groan she turned herself over to face her wife’s question._

_“Why would we ever do such a thing? Without anything to do I’d think we’d kill each other within the year.” Sylvanas jested in an attempt to shut down the argument._

_Jaina was having none of it._

_“Seriously though, don’t you want children, a family? Something beyond the day to day requirements of maintaining an army that will never be used?”_

_“And what makes you think it would never be used? Here I was thinking the whole point of having an army was to posture for my own vanity. Thank you for summing up my entire life's work as a useless practise in frivolity.”_

_Sylvanas knew how it sounded but she couldn't help it. The military was her life, she was the Ranger General, she had conquered the Amani and broke the wall of Gilneas, showing the world the true might of her people. And here her wife was telling her that none of that was important because of their age._

_“You know that’s not what I meant.” Jaina responded tersely. “You get like this every time we have this discussion. I don’t think your pursuit has been frivolous and I certainly don’t think anything you’ve done has been in the name of your own vanity, but, you must realize that there is more to life? That there are things beyond training and drilling?”_

_“Can we save this for another time Dalah'surfal? Let us put the future to rest and enjoy the present.” Sylvanas said as she leaned forward. Her eyes fluttering and voice raspy as she slowly crawled atop her wife's lap before leaning down and capturing those pouty lips with her own._

Even now Sylvanas could feel the deep ache from how well her wife had fucked her after that. But that memory too was ruined as she pulled her arrows from the ground and tree. That little ball of pleasure shriveling into nothing as she stared at the evidence of her own failure. Of course that’s when the weather turned as well.

The wind picked up, tossing her hair every which direction, the leaves rustling like a whisper. Slowly the bright blue sky disappears behind a wall of grey followed by a deep roll of thunder. Then she feels it, the first few droplets of rain against her temple, so with a great deal more grumbling she grabs her gear and starts her march back towards Windrunner Spire.

* * *

Jaina greatly enjoys reading in the rain. Some of her fondest memories are those where Darek has her and Tandred wrapped in blankets around the fire as he regales them with another tale of his time out at sea. Warm coca in hand as she vibrates in excitement for what will amount to be the same story Darek always told them (because he always told the same story, truth be told it’s very rare that anything interesting _actually_ happens when out at sea). 

Darek is long gone now though. Lost to the second war, drowned in a wave of dragon fire, not another breath had to enthrall them with stories. To spite that though she still finds comfort in it, pulling a book from her shelf and absconding to some hidden corner of the tower to read and drink tea in peace. 

She gets all of three pages in before being interrupted. The sound of the Spires grand doorway slamming closed echoing through the large empty halls. She knows its Sylvanas, largely because there is no one else it could be, but also because, beneath the squidging of her wife's boots, there is an underlying stomp of finality with each step. That telltale Windrunner stubbornness that flows through all three sisters, sinking into every action and movement they make. 

It's all the more familiar because she had witnessed it not even three hours ago.

_When Jaina gently knocked against the door of her wife's study it was with a great deal of trepidation, and perhaps, also a large quantity of nervous energy. The conversation she planned to have was not a new one, in fact it was probably their longest running one, although calling them conversations was probably quite the flattery. More like opposing points that morphed into shouting matches or quiet grumblings. The perfect compromise, absolute misery._

_The thought set a frown atop her face before she decided to enter anyway. The study itself was immaculate, not a piece of paper out of place. The various shelves and cabinets sat neatly like a jigsaw puzzle against the deep green walls, the polished wooden floor clear of any mess of pile, even Sylvanas desk (the one in which she currently sat writing a report, was orderly and neat._

_All in all it was about as opposite Jaina's as one could get._

_Sylvanas for her part seemed rather tired. Jaina could not see her face but she didn’t need to, her wife's slumped shoulders and slouched back were evidence enough. The candle beside her flickering with her exhausted breaths, vibrating with every slight breeze that carried through the window above. For a brief moment Jaina considered turning around and broaching the subject later. Sylvanas was tired, she was tired, the most likely outcome was an argument that would leave the both of them even more tired._

_The option was however taken away when Sylvanas suddenly rounded on her with her eyes narrowed and her features settled on a grim acceptance._

_“Shall we hash this out now wife, ague and below until we weep, dance this dance of misery that follows wherever we go. Or, just this once, will you allow well enough alone so that we may perhaps go to sleep without wanting to strangle one another.”_

_The way she said it is what set them off this time. Their argument having long moved past the point of contention and into the point of argument for argument's sake._

_“Well if you feel the need to strangle me you could at least wait until after my tea with Vereesa tomorrow, it's so rare that I actually get to_ enjoy _something nowadays.” She bit back. She wanted her wife to hurt, she couldn’t say why, but she did. A nerve had been struck and now every cell in her body was calling to draw blood for blood._

_Perhaps it was especially cruel, using her relationship with Vereesa like this, but she knew like the best knife it would cut deep. Early into her relationship with Sylvanas it had become aware to the both of them that Vereesa carried feelings for her. Feelings beyond those of close friends. At that point, when everything was still sunshine and rainbows, they had laughed about it. Used the information to tease poor Vereesa at every opportunity. Now though she uses it like a weapon. Knowing just how insecure Sylvanas is about herself compared to her sisters._

Shortly afterword Sylvanas had stormed past her before grabbing her gear and marching out to the forests below. The memory brought all sorts of conflicting feelings to her chest. On one hand she knew that they needed to have this conversation. She wasn’t a young woman anymore and with every day that went past her ability to have children moved ever further away. But she also understood Sylvanas hesitance, her wife would be plenty capable of carrying their children (besides Sylvanas own opinion on actually being pregnant) there was no rush. She didn’t see the need to move away from Silvermoon, to pass on her responsibilities, to retreat for a quiet life. 

In a morbid way what was the point of unraveling her entire life if she was just going to return to it within a century? But her wife would never say that, at least to her face. 

With a sigh she put her book down and left her cubbyhole. She ascended the stairs slowly, listening for any possible noise that might indicate her wife's mood, she found none. Not until she was right outside their room. A soft hum greeted her ear followed by the sloshing of water.

A bath. Sylvanas was taking a bath.

Suddenly Jaina was hesitant for an entirely different reason. Her skin flushing as images of long tan legs and pert breasts crossed her mind before she shook them away. Taking a few deep breaths she opened the door and slipped in. The room was dark only illuminated by the candle light coming from the bathroom. Their windows had been closed to stop the cold wind and rain, the weather beating rhythmically against the wall, but all of that soon faded away as she entered the washroom. 

She could see her wife, lounging in the warm water, only her ears were visible above the sea of bubbles atop the water. Making sure to make as little noise as possible Jaina began to strip her own clothes. Giving a wince as her gauntlets clinked against the marble counter tops. Then, when she was as naked as the day she was born, she moved swiftly towards the tub. When she was about to climb in she found two bright blue eyes, sharp and questioning against her own, before they sunk back beneath the warm water. For a few moments Jaina stood there awkwardly, naked and unsure, completely uncertain in every possibility her mind came up with. 

Eventually a hand rose from the depths and wrapped around her wrist, gently tugging her towards the water. She didn’t question it, she just allowed her wife to pull her into water. The warm water, soothing muscles she didn’t even know where tense. She didn’t know how long they sat in the water, Sylvanas leaning back against her, Jaina's own arms wrapped around her wife's waist, holding tight. 

They weren’t okay, they weren't anywhere near okay, but right now, with the storm raging outside and the warm water surrounding them, they could pretend. 

And it would have to be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave a comment, constructive criticism is always welcome, just try and keep it respectful.


End file.
